1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steam generating apparatus, and an oven including the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a steam generating apparatus, which includes a water tank adapted to enable convenient cleaning, and is configured to heat water in the water tank via an induction heating method in order to generate steam rapidly, and an oven including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A steam generating apparatus is an apparatus which generates steam by heating water contained in a water tank, and is installed in an oven to help cooking. Specifically, when the apparatus generates high temperature steam in the oven during cooking, the steam is uniformly delivered to food in the oven so that the food is cooked without being burnt or being partially undercooked while containing a suitable amount of moisture. As a result, the food can be prepared in a moist state after being cooked. In addition, the steam serves to take fats and salts away from the food during cooking, so that the food has a low calorie and low salinity after being cooked, and is beneficial for health and diet.
Generally, a conventional steam generating apparatus includes a water tank, and an electric heater positioned in the water tank to generate steam by heating water in the water tank to which a predetermined amount of water is supplied through a water supply pipe or from a separate water reservoir. In the conventional steam generating apparatus with the electric heater installed in the water reservoir, scales are created due to mineral components such as calcium and magnesium contained in water of the water tank, and attached to an inner wall of the water tank, deteriorating performance of the electric heater while contaminating the steam.
Accordingly, it is necessary to clean the interior of the water tank periodically in order to remove the scales. However, since the electric heater is positioned in the water tank, making the structure of the conventional steam generating apparatus complicated, the conventional steam generating apparatus has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to clean the water tank conveniently and satisfactorily.
PCT International Publication WO 96/131138 discloses a steam generating apparatus which employs an induction heating method. The steam generating apparatus includes a water tank, an induction coil assembly positioned outside the water tank, and an induction heating member positioned inside the water tank such that, when electric current is applied to the induction coil assembly, induction current is induced in the induction heating member, and thus the induction heating member generates heat, thereby heating water in the water tank to generate steam.
The steam generating apparatus of the disclosure has a structure wherein the induction coil assembly and the porous heating member are respectively positioned at an outer portion and an inner portion of a heating chamber, i.e., the water tank, or a structure wherein both induction coil assembly and porous heating member are positioned in the heating chamber. With this structure, when electric current is applied to the induction coil assembly, induction current is induced in the porous heating member, and thus porous heating member generates heat, so that water in the water tank is heated, and is converted to steam.
However, since the steam generating apparatus of the disclosure has the structure to generate steam by heating all water in the heating chamber, it has disadvantages in that it cannot rapidly generate the steam, and requires large power consumption.
In addition, according to the disclosure, the heating chamber is fixed to a water supply pipe or a separate water supplying tank to supply water supplied from the outside to the heating chamber, and the porous heating member cannot be easily separated from the heating chamber, so that the heating chamber cannot be easily cleaned, making it difficult to remove the scales attached to the inner wall of the heating chamber, and the porous heating member.